This invention relates to the field of ammunition for breaching a hardened target. There is a long felt need for more effective warheads to breach such targets, and especially a need to have a single projectile, multipurpose in nature, for clearing a variety of different types of targets. Current targets each require a specialized projectile. For example, presently an M830A1 round may be used for breaching steel reinforced concrete walls; an M1028 round may be used against light armor targets; an M830 round may be used for defeating bunkers; and an M908 round may be used for antipersonnel applications. Clearly, if a single projectile could effectively be used for any of these type of targets, huge savings in time, money, and logistics could be realized.
In striking a target barrier wall of steel double reinforced concrete perhaps 8 inches thick, many current projectiles are not able to penetrate very deeply. Most current projectiles launched against such barriers flatten out before being able to penetrate, then explode and the projectile warhead breaks into fragments. Although some warhead fragments will penetrate forward into the barrier as intended, yet many fragments will not and only be deflected off the barrier. Although the flattening may create a larger area of surface impact, the desired effect of clearing the target obstacle from its path isn't necessarily optimized. In most cases, the warhead actually fragments in the opposite direction of the course of the projectile, away from the target, and the barrier does not receive the full effect of the explosive energy. What is needed is a projectile that is able to penetrate comparatively deep into a concrete barrier before exploding, with resulting fragments thereof all penetrating into the target. A projectile is described in this invention which is capable of puncturing a double reinforced concrete wall, projectile essentially fully intact, and only then to have its warhead explode into fragments. This allows fragmentation in a more effective nearly ideal direction.